Box Issues

[Janessakathleen]

So my little Luna has been testing my patience yet again. Ever since I brought her home as a kitten she has had accidents here and there outside of her box. She started frequently urinating outside her box when she went into heat and since i have had her fixed the habit has still remained. We have gone months without accidents but lately she is having these accidents almost daily. I am at my wits end!

Luna has 3 litterboxes that are cleaned every day and I do change her litter and whipe the boxes down as well. Her newest box she hasn' taken to at all and it is exactly the same as the other two. I was hoping this new box would discourage her from peeing in the laundry room but no avail. I know it is not crystals and she is urinating at normal levels and frequency throughout the day. She is sensitive to dry food and since switching her to only wet she has stopped pooping outside her box...I just can't understand why she is now peeing outside the box.

Besides taking her for another check up.. I was hoping for some suggestions from anyone with success stories. Advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks

 

[Columbine]

Hi, and welcome to TCS

As you predicted, a vet visit is the first thing I'd suggest. It's vital to make sure there is no physical cause for the behaviour (and this goes for any behaviour) before treating it as a purely behavioural issue
Litterbox Problems? Here's Why You Should Call Your Vet

My next step would be to get a backlight, and go through your home checking for any missed spots of urine. It's very easy to accidentally miss a bit, and you need to be sure you have a clean start moving forward. If Luna is peeing round the edges of your home (e.g. in front of external doors or windows) it's worth taking the backlight outside too, and checking the outside of doors etc for signs of outdoor or feral cats marking the outside of your home as their territory. This alone can be enough to trigger inappropriate peeing indoors, and given that it really started when Luna went into heat, it's very possible there are tomcats staking their claim on her - either now or previously.

It sounds like Luna's a sensitive, stressy type of girl (I have one like that too). If so, that could well be a contributing factor here. Working on reducing her stress levels can only be a positive move, in any case Interactive playtime is a great stress busting tool, and it has the added advantage of increasing territorial insecurity and helping Luna stake her claim on your home in a positive and healthy way. Feliway could well help matters too, so it's definitely worth a try.

There are more ideas and tips in these articles:-
How To Solve Litterbox Problems In Cats: The Ultimate Guide
Solving Cat Behavior Problems: The Key Ingredient

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Should the issue be "simply" stress, here are some additional articles that may help!

You, Your Cat And Stress
Six Surefire Strategies To Reduce Stress In Cats
Potential Stressors In Cats - The Ultimate Checklist
Is Your Cat Stressed Out?

 

[Janessakathleen]

Thanks everyone! She seems go be going in one spot and I've been cleaning it thoroughly but while I was on holidays my dad was watching her. I know he didn' clean the spot after he properly and now had left an odor even after washing.

I'm going to bring her in for a checkup just to be sure! But I am leaning towards stress as well. She has been moved around quite a lot and has recently lost one of her best friends (my ex) in our last move. I wish I didn't have to move her around so much but considered it a better alternative to giving her away.

I will be on the hunt for a black light and in the mean time I have put down puppy training pads to keep the area as easy to clean as possible.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

She has been moved around quite a lot and has recently lost one of her best friends (my ex) in our last move.

That being the case, I'm betting that this is stress, and a good cleaning regimen plus time, patience, and a bit of return to a routine for her will take care of this.